Remora (Ship)
The Remora class of ships, named after a type of fish which can most often be found clinging to the underside of sharks, were originally designed to hang beneath a Hammership, with one Remora under each eye. This requires that a docking ring be installed in each eye (1000 gp each to retrofit, 500 gp each if installed during initial construction). When docked, the Remora's catapult is unusable, and the Hammership's MC is reduced by 1. A Hammership cannot land while a Remora is docked with it. The catapult of the Remora is located on the forward end of the upper deck, just in front of the docking ring. The ballista fires through a portal on the forward end of the lower deck (below the gravity plane), thus limiting it's firing arc while giving it's weaponeer a -4 AC bonus. This firing port must be sealed before any water landing is attempted. With the exception of the catapult deck, the Remora is fully enclosed and has no open decks. Subsequent to it's introduction, the Remora class has been seen occasionally hanging under a variety of vessels which have been modified for that purpose. Rumours persist that a ship design is under development which will mount over a dozen Remoras. Crew Depending on their use, a Remora may have no crew of its own, instead being manned when needed by the crew of its parent craft, or if it operates independantly on a regular basis, it may have a dedicated crew. In any case, when operational, a Remora usually carries a crew of four. This usually includes 2 spellcasters, one of whom serves as the helmsman and one as the backup (these will usually be of levels 1-5), and 2 weaponeers. Ship Uses Ship's Boat: Remoras typically serve as gigs for their parent craft, ferrying cargo and passengers to and fro. For a Hammership, the Remora is particularly useful in situations in which there is no water for the Hammership to land in, or in situations i which subtlety is required, and the appearance of the Hammership would cause a stir. Fighter: The Remora has become a popular craft amongst navies which operate Hammerships. A pair of Remoras acting as fighters can double the combat effectiveness of a single Hammership, not solely because of the extra weaponry, but because of the wider range of tactics available to the trio of ships. Scout: Many Remoras see use as scouting vessels operating from their parent vessels. Typically the parent vessel will lurk in a safe, hidden location, while one or two Remoras will be sent out. Such a scouting mission will frequently last upwards of a week. Should the Remora(s) fail to return within a specified time frame, the parent vessel will usually cut its losses and retreat rather than face whatever threat caused the scout(s) to be lost. Other Configurations Port Shuttle: Some ports have taken to using Remoras as short-range shuttles. These vessels are stripped of weaponry and most interior fittings, and are usually equipped with a single pair of Oars of the Void for propulsion rather than a full-blown boat helm. The resulting craft can carry up to 3 tons of cargo from waiting ships to port.